Liquid Diamond (11 page)

“
What other use could these two possibly have?” laughed the Elf as he licked his lips.

Smacking the Elf in the face for that remark, Miss Turr took the key from Catalyst’s fitsall and shoved it in his face.

“
What about this key? I want to know what you know about it now!” demanded Miss Turr.

“
Key? That don’t look like a key to me,” said the Elf calmly, tired of being smacked for his smart mouth.

“
Well, it was,” said Natalia.

“
I don’t know anything about a key,” replied the Elf, staring at Natalia greedily.

“
All I wanted was my dinner,” continued the Elf.

“
So now that two fine upstanding Basajaunak have your answer, why not untie me. Leave these children with me and we’ll all have what we came here for,” said the Elf bracing for another smack in the face.

“
Let’s not try killing him, at least until we have the answers we’re looking for,” said Domnyar as he stopped Miss Turr’s hand mid-smack.

“
Shall we rest for a while? Miss Turr you can go with them and tend to your wounds. I’ll stay here until I have what we need to know,” said Domnyar, throwing a stone into the water for a ripple effect, hoping that the Elf would realize that there was only one of two ways out
–
the Riverfray or tell him what they needed to know.

“
You know, Elf, it’s going to be a long day for you, not to mention the night. Sooner or later I’m going to tire of this and take my chances of not knowing what you know,” said Domnyar, looking the Elf in the eyes one more time.

Shaking her head to Domnyar’s suggestion, Natalia stepped back to sit down and rest, joined by Catalyst as they sat and watched Miss Turr and Domyar badger the Elf for answers.

“
So, that thing in the water is a Riverfray. I’ve never seen one before,” said Catalyst, still a little in shock from watching it eat the Blemmye.

“
I have, but only in pictures and on TV. We call it the Lockness Monster. I’ve seen the Basajaunak before as well. They’re called the Bigfoot among other names. I find it hard to believe that our worlds could have almost the same beings and creatures inhabiting them. “You know what, Catalyst, I’m sure there is more than one portal. I bet there’s one down there in that water,” said Natalia.

“
Maybe” was all Catalyst could say. After all, what did he know of Earth other than what he’d been told. If his Father were around he’d know all he needed to.

“
It would explain why the Lockness Monster has never been caught and believe me they try. What about the Bigfoot? The only real difference between that creature and the Basajaunak is that the Basajaunak stand straight. They don’t run away, at least not from me, but everything I’ve seen has been dismissed as a hoax. If there were more open portals around this world it would explain so much,” said Natalia.

“
Well don’t forget, Natalia, this portal has only been locked for two hundred and fifty-five years. Another thing – did everyone one come back that went through, from either side?” questioned Catalyst.

“
That would only explain the Basajaunak, not the Riverfray. Who knows what other mythical creatures actually live here,” smiled Natalia at the thought.

“
Okay, back to the key!” said Miss Turr loud enough to grab the children’s attention once again.

“
I don’t know anything about it,” replied the Elf snidely.

“
Well, you see this emblem here? It’s from Svartalfheim and yet it has nothing to do with your King’s realm, so what do you know about that?” asked Miss Turr.

“
It’s the emblem for Svartalfheim, their realm, their King, not mine,” replied the Elf.

“
Who made it?” demanded Domnyar, taking his turn to badger the Elf.

“
That’s easy – Miss Turr,” laughed the Elf at Domnyar’s stupidity.

“
Well if you know that, then you know who wanted it made. You see, you stupid little Elf, we never told you Miss Turr made it,” said Domnyar.

“
All right, I’ll tell you what I know,” said the Elf, hanging his head in shame and disbelief that something so mentally crippled could outsmart him.

“
From what I hear it was the Clique that wanted the key made,” said the Elf, hiding the fact that it was they who broke him out of the Gallows.

“
Go on, and don’t make me ask you a single question about this, Elf, or I swear...” said Miss Turr, pointing to the river.

“
They’re a group of dissidents. They’re tired of power changing from one King to the next, year after year, being subject to the Transitional Moon Phase, spending three years at a time out of time by 0.2 seconds. They’re fed up and somehow they figured out a way to get the crystals. Oh that’s right, you made them the key for that, didn’t you?” said the Elf smiling as he looked at Miss Turr.

“
Shut up! Now keep talking,” said Domnyar.

“
The ones out of phase, they were able to carry the four pieces into their own lands. How they did that I don’t know, but they got the three crystals and the diamond ring and now you’ll never see them again,” laughed the Elf.

What’s more, and this is only a guess, but a good one, they’re planning something for the coming transition, and that’s all I know. Now that you know what I know, there’s no reason to feed me to that Riverfray, is there? I mean I told you what you wanted to know,” continued the Elf, begging for his life.

“
What are they planning?” asked Catalyst, afraid for Natalia.

“
I don’t know nor do I care to. I’m happy with what I’ve got and don’t care one way or the other,” replied the Elf.

“
You went through a lot of trouble to get these two children. Why? Why would you do that when you could just as easily have eaten one of your pets?” asked Miss Turr.

“
As far as it goes for them, the Clique found out about the King of Kyopelivuori sending them after the crystals. They made a deal with me to get rid of them both, for which I was paid most generously. So not only was their reward worthwhile, I was supposed to get a fresh kill or two as part of the bargain,” replied the Elf.

“
Well at least you got paid,” laughed Natalia.

Frustrated by the comment, the Elf spat at Natalia and was smacked in the head for it by Catalyst, knocking him back out.

“
He’s so vile!” said Natalia, wiping the spit off her coat. Well, looks as though we’ve learned all we’re going to from this Elf.

“
Let’s head back to the village. I for one am starving,” said Domnyar, turning from the demented creature.

“
What’s for dinner?” asked Catalyst, rubbing his stomach.

“
Beans and rice, I think,” replied Domnyar happily. Miss Turr just looked at Natalia and held her nose while pointing at Domnyar.

With his rope dart safely back in his possession, Catalyst looked at the sky, and with one really good windup, he let the rope dart fly, stretching out as far as it could. Catalyst skewered a Cockatrice big enough to feed them all.

“
How’s meat instead?” asked Catalyst, looking at Miss Turr.

“
Sounds better than beans and rice,” replied Miss Turr, relieved at being saved from Domnyar’s menu.

Back at the village with the Cockatrice ready to be taken off the spit, Natalia and Miss Turr put everything on the table for dinner, and with the four of them sitting there, dinner was enjoyed by all.

“
So, Miss Turr, where can we get some more of this plastite?” asked Natalia, turning the conversation back to their quest.

“
More? Why would you need more?” asked Miss Turr.

“
So we can get you to make another key for the portal for when we have the rest of the crystals,” replied Natalia.

“
When you have all the crystals I’ll just recut the key from the plastite you already have, Natalia. What you really need is trillium oil, and in two Transitional Moon Phases you can go and get some,” replied Miss Turr.

“
But that’s more than two years from now, almost three. I can’t stay here that long, even if I am split into two people right now,” replied Natalia, looking at Catalyst.

“
Looks as though you’re going to have to, Natalia. Didn’t you hear what the Elf said – they split the crystals up and took them back to their Kingdoms. Until their Kingdoms are in phase, you won’t be able to go there. It would seem to me that this Clique group would have to pull the crystals out of time by the 0.2 seconds just to store the crystals safely. Even if you and Catalyst walked right into their realm, I’m betting you wouldn’t even be able to pick them up,” said Domnyar.

“
Yes, that’s true I’m afraid,” said Miss Turr.

“
But the Elf also said they were planning something for the coming transition, right?” said Natalia.

“
He did, but what good will that do them, once we have the crystal that’s here in this time?” asked Catalyst.

“
Natalia, don’t worry. I have a plan. I’ll get my Mother to help once we have the crystal. And if it’s not too close to the transition, I’ll have my Mother send you back,” said Catalyst.

“
You are one very clever little boy, aren’t you? I forgot about your Mother’s persuasiveness,” said Miss Turr, smiling about Anastasia’s power.

“
Where do we go to get the trillium oil?” asked Natalia.

“
You need to go to Annwn. It’s only there that you’ll find it. It’s very rare here and no one will give you any if they have it. The trip is awfully dangerous. A lot of those who have tried to go have never been heard from again. The few that have made it back, with or without the oil, have never tried it again. Some fortunes no matter how great aren’t worth your life. A single cup of that oil can be worth maybe two hundred times its weight in gold,” replied Miss Turr, hoping they wouldn’t figure it out.

“
Well as long as nobody minds sending a twelve-year-old girl into that kind of danger then I guess it’s all right,” said Natalia, angered by such a trip.

“
In the meantime, Miss Turr, can we just leave the key with you for safe keeping? We’ll come and get it after we have the oil, and maybe you can recut it then?” asked Catalyst.

“
Of course, that’s why I’m here,” replied Miss Turr.

“
It’s all settled then – you two will get the crystal that’s here and then Natalia you’ll go home. Then come back when it’s time, and when it’s time to get the trillium oil and the other crystals. At the moment all you have to worry about is how full you are,” said Domnyar.

“
Yes! And the fact that the Clique are planning something for the coming transition,” laughed Natalia.

“
It won’t matter, Natalia. Once we have at least one crystal they won’t be able to lock the portal. They can’t use it now, not with the King’s guards there,” said Catalyst.

“
What will locking it matter? They wanted it opened to begin with,” replied Natalia.

“
Yes they did, but if they start something with Humankind, they’ll want to lock the portal, right? After all, they wouldn’t want the warring to begin again in this world. It’ll ruin their homes as well, and if they can’t lock the portal, what protection do they have?” asked Catalyst.

“
If we get this one crystal, they can’t do anything and we have time to find the rest. Maybe Miss Turr can go one step further for our world and design a whole new lock for the crystal’s pedestal – one that once it’s locked it can’t be unlocked, ever,” continued Catalyst.

“
That will have to be done by me. I’m the very best in all this world when it comes to designs so complex that even the slightest tampering would stop whatever it is from working. I would think a simple lock would be no problem. All we would have to do is let Catalyst try and open it one time and it’ll never work again. What do think, Miss Turr?” asked Domnyar.

“
Sounds perfect to me,” replied Miss Turr.

“
It’s late and we have to leave early, Catalyst, so I’m going to get some sleep,” said Natalia.

“
You too, Catalyst,” ordered Domnyar.

“
Miss Turr, if you’ll be so kind as to join me on the porch, I have some very good root wine and a secret stash of cherry leaf pipe tobacco,” offered Domnyar, showing Miss Turr the way, with a bottle in one hand and two pipes in the other. Picking up two glasses, Miss Turr followed him out.

“
So do you think these children will be okay going after the crystals on their own?” asked Miss Turr all cuddled up in Domnyar’s arms.

“
I’m sure they are going to be just fine. Don’t forget, Catalyst is Krusnik and a lot stronger than he looks. If the people around here know his mother, then you can bet the fear of her anger is enough to help him. I can’t imagine the pair of them being any safer really. Then there’s Natalia – she seems to be pretty smart to me,” replied Domnyar.